The Library Grift

Two weeks ago, my boss had me research the Chicago Public Library system, looking for two rare books that he wanted to read. Whilst I was surfing their website, I stumbled upon the fact that you can request music CDs to be sent from one branch to another for easy pickup.

Which means that anyone with a library card has access to the CPL's entire music catalogue... if one is patient enough.

You can also search the entire catalogue online, find a disk that you're looking for, request it to be sent to your library, all without ever leaving your computer.

I discovered this news two Fridays ago.
Two Saturdays ago, I got my new library card.
That day, I picked out 6 disks (the maximum) and took them home to rip onto my computer and drop onto my ipod.

In two weeks since then, I've done the same for a total of 25 different disks. (with 5 more travelling to my local library from parts unknown.) My cowboy music collection has begun expanding. Gene Autry. Riders In The Sky. Hank Williams Sr. and Two other cowboy music compilations.

I've also finally picked up all of the Coldplay disks. Toots and the Maytals. The Kinks. The Rolling Stones. The Velvet Underground. Neil Diamond. Sam & Dave. Patsy Cline. John Williams. Tom Waits. They Might Be Giants. John Coltrane. Regina Spektor. Malvina Reynolds. And the Broadway soundtracks to Man of La Mancha and Sweeney Todd (because I am gay for musicals).

Once the disk is burned onto the ipod, I make a backup of the disks for my own storage and then clear them off of my computer (which is so old that I really can't keep music on it).

I feel like I'm getting away with something that I shouldn't. Technically speaking, there's nothing wrong with what I'm doing. I pay my taxes, so that covers my financial investment in the library itself. Also, these materials are free and available for my consumption, with the caveat that I don't burn copies of them for anyone (or sell copies of the disks to anyone). Which I haven't done. All of the music that I've burned from them, has gone onto my ipod and that's where it ends.

Sure, it's shaky legal ground, but I think it works. And frankly, I love the idea that I'm getting away with something and the fun of thumbing through the library's musical catalogue, looking for some rare treat that I didn't know was there, is a pleasure too. Knowing that I'm sticking it to the recording industry, if only a little bit, makes it that much better, too.

Cheers,
D.J. Stickyfingerzz

All Your Bass (And Treble) Are Belong To Us.